The present invention relates to a harness especially adaptable for use with a backpack vacuum cleaner and, more particularly, to a harness for a backpack vacuum cleaner allowing free movement of shoulders of a user.
Harnesses of different types have been developed for vacuum cleaners to assist in carriage by users. A simple waist belt is enough for carrying a small size vacuum cleaner, while a larger vacuum cleaner requires shoulder straps for additional support. The weight of a backpack vacuum cleaner is carried mainly by the shoulder straps whose upper ends are fixed to the vacuum cleaner, leading to limitations to movement of the shoulders of the user as well as fatigue. Lower ends of the shoulder straps are fixed to the vacuum cleaner or a waist belt in an inflexible way even though the shoulder straps are adjustable in length. In a variation of the harness, the shoulder straps and the waist belt are mounted to the same back plate fixed to a vacuum cleaner tank, and lower ends of the shoulder straps are mounted to the waist belt, also leaving few adjustment possibilities as well as limited shoulder movement of the user. In another variation of the harness, the shoulder straps are mounted to a back plate at a point very close to the mounting point of the waist belt leaving very little flexibility as well as limited adjustment possibilities, for the upper mounting points of the shoulder straps are fixed with respect to the waist belt. In still another variation of the harness, the fixing points for shoulder straps are adjustable; however, only few positions are possible, and screws for adjusting the shoulder straps must be removed with tools.
Therefore, a need exists for a harness for a backpack vacuum cleaner allowing free movement of the shoulders of the user and obviating fatigue resulting from the shoulder straps.